Sunday marked the 45th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon. What's needed to further space exploration? Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Commentary writer Rand Simberg points out that expecting the Apollo program to be recreated, or trying to make it happen again in roughly the same manner, is irrational ("Apollo program a flameout at 45: Column").

Apollo was a magical achievement, in large part because the circumstances were so unique. It takes nothing away from the great Americans who realized that historic vision.

But it was not, even though we imagined it was, the start of something more traditionally American, such as the opening of the space frontier.

I'm pretty sure Simberg would agree that we need commercial industry plus NASA. It won't look like the Apollo program, but it will honor the sacrifice of those who gave us Apollo.

— James A M Muncy

Actually, we did complete big space projects after Apollo. They were called the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Both had problems, but they were completed, doing good service. Of course, trying to develop any model for deep space exploration and selling it can be hard.

— Mark R Whittington

I was 8 years old when man landed on the moon. The Apollo program was an incredible inspiration for the world. More money on research and development is what we needed to commit over the last 45 years.

— Charles Edward Brown

The U.S. space program is too important to be further entrusted to our bloated, wasteful, pork-driven federal government and NASA.